분야
hwp by Scott Rosenberg
4/6/99
"I wonder," Toad said to himself presently, "I wonder
if this sort of car starts easily?"
Next moment, hardly knowing how it came about, he
found that he had hold of the handle and was turning
it. As the familiar sound broke forth, the old
passion seized on Toad and completely mastered him,
body and soul ... He increased his pace, and as the
car devoured the street, he was only conscious
that he was Toad once more, Toad at his best and
highest. And he sped he knew not whither, fulfilling
his instincts, living his hour, reckless of what
might come to him... "
-- Kenneth Grahame, "THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS"
"All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty
hood... "
-- Bruce Springsteen, "THUNDER ROAD"
FADE IN:
EXT. LONG BEACH STREET - LOWER GRAND - NIGHT
The streets are empty. Low fog skims the sidewalks below a gray stew
of a sky. Its slightly fuzzy, slightly surreal. The vast Port of Los
Angeles is visible in the b.g... No cars parked here ... No cars
except -
A 67 SHELBY MUSTANG GT-500
Silver with deep grill, its sculptured side panels ending in air
scoops ... All cock and balls, it stands alone in the lonely cool
before dawn ... An old-school totem to speed and style... And then
SOMEONE approaches...
Through the mists of morning ... In leather coat and jack boots ...
Hes early 30s, with the vaguely whimsical confidence of a shimmer
that refuses to fade ...
This is RANDALL RAINES, whom they call MEMPHIS - though know ones
quite sure why ... But they do know hes the auto-boost in Southern
California ...
Memphis approaches the Mustang with a gathering awe ... Like a desert
crash survivor coming upon an oasis ... He walks around it ...
Admiring it ... Adoring it ...
But then a FIREBIRD pulls up alongside him. Its driver -
ATLEY JACKSON, early 30s, handsome, jocular leans out for:
ATLEY JACKSON
You gonna steal her or kneel down to
her and pray -- ?
Memphis looks at him, still enthralled...
ATLEY JACKSON (contd)
I know, I know ... Its Eleanor ...
Just take her, slick. - -
And Atley drives off slowly, Memphis looks this way and that ...
No one about ... He removes a SLIM JIM from a deep pocket in his
coat... He slims the door panel ... Pops the button ... opens the
door ...
Watch him work. Quick as shit. A SCREWDRIVER appears another
pocket ... He pops the BUTTERFLY to the IGNITION
A RATCHET appears... He strips the mechanism... Now a GIZMO - a,small
socket-like device - is pressed into the
ignition ... A twist of the wrist ... And the 320-bhp 289 V8 rumbles
like a jackhammer. The whole thing took 20 seconds.
He takes a cassette TAPE from another pocket ... Slaps it into the
deck. Bruce Springsteens "Ramrod" wails from the coaxials.
And Memphis floors it... And off they tear...
The look on his face suggests a supreme satisfaction ... A grand
re-awakening of long-dormant pleasure centers ... A speed Jones,
fixed and fumy ...
He slots in behind Atley Jacksons Firebird ... And slotting in
behind Memphis, in a Z-28, is DONNY ASTRICKY, mid-30s ...
On they go ... The fore and aft car providing escort...
Except that, from seemingly out of nowhere --
A POLICE CAR
appears behind them...
And Donny instantly goes into diversionary tactic ... He races
through a STOP SIGN ... And the cruisers bubbles flash on ... And
Donny is pulled-over ... Atley and Memphis drive on in their
respective vehicles...
The UNIFORM COP gets out of his car, goes to Donny.
DONNY
Problem, Officer?
POLICEMAN
Yes. Youre under arrest -- ?
DONNY
For running a stop sign?
POLICEMAN
For Grand Theft Auto -
And off of Donnys look --
We go to Memphis in the Shelby... As FOUR CRUISERS comes speeding
toward him, sirens wailing...
QUICK SHOTS of Memphis racing the Shelby through the early morning
harbor town streets ... Sirens peel ... Memphis turns up the music
... Pins the gas ... The chase is on ...
Memphis maneuvers the Mustang with a dazzling aplomb... Memphis
gutterballing the car, skating the shoulder, the cops in heavy
pursuit ...
And now hes picked up another CRUISER... He passes Atley Jackson,
heading in the opposite direction... Atley has picked-up a pair of
cruisers himself ...
Memphis on a straightaway now, speeds up, feels the boost. But up
ahead, a ROADBLOCK has formed... Howd they get that deployed so
fast? And behind him, the unmarks blaze ...
Guns his bitch... Straight at the roadblock .. Three CRUISERS and
a PORTABLE WOODEN BARRICADE... Memphis pins her ... ZOOOOOM! Dead-on
to the roadblock ...
And, at the last moment, as the COPS dive out of the way, Memphis
bangs the gear shift into neutral -- yanks the parking brake --
And the Mustang spins on the straight -- Screeching spin ... And
Memphis takes the HARD LEFT ...
And hes managed to outrun them... Finding himself above Lower
Grand... Looking down ...
He can see the secondary pursuit down below ... Atley being
chased... IN THE DISTANCE - Atley is LAUNCHED FROM THE SHOULDER,
the Firebird rolling down a drainage culvert ...
Landing with a
